Automatic electric time-switch.



No. 7|'0,|46. Patented Sept. 30, 1902 H. K. GARDNER.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TLME- SWITCH.

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N0. 7|0,l46.4, Patented Sept. 30, I902. H. K. GARDNER.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

(Applicatiun filed Feb. 5, 1902.) (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 7|0,|4s. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

- H. K. GARDNER.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

7 (Application filed Feb. 5, 1902.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY K. GARDNER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIM E-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,146, datedSeptember 30, 1902.

Application filed February 5, 1902. fberial No. 92,619. (No model) Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY K. GARDNER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence andState of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Electric Time-Switches,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic electric time-switchesfor controlling electric circuits, the devicebeing more particularlyadapted for use in connection with electric-lighting circuits, where itis desired to make or close the circuit at certain predetermined timesor intervals, thereby automatically lighting the electric lamps in thecircuit, the device being also employed for breaking the electriccircuit at certain other predetermined times, thereby automaticallyextinguishing the lights in said circuit.

While, as just stated, my improved electric time-switch is adapted foruse in electric-lighting circuits, it is also well adapted for useinelectric circuits used for other purposes, where the electric current isto be switched on or off at certain prearranged times or for anyparticular length of time.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination, withmotor-actuated or mechanically-movable switch member and-clock or timemechanism detached from said switch, of a suitably-graduated time-dialadj ustably mounted on and adapted to revolve in unison with the centeror time spindle of said clock, time-tripper members adj ustably securedto and revolving with the said time-dial, and normally stationaryreleasing mechanism connected with said switch having a member thereofarranged in the path of and adapted to be engaged by said movingtime-trippers at predetermined intervals of time, all as will be morefully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In carrying out my invention I employ any first-class clock-movement,preferably one having an eight-day wind. Combined with saidclock-movement and wholly detached and disconnected from it I alsoprovide a suitably mounted intermittentlyrevoluble switch, adapted to bedirectly actuated by an independent spring and gear train or weight,this latter being released by interposed novel escapement mechanismcontrolled by suitable fingers or trippers mounted upon and moving inunison with the revolving center or time spindle of the clock mechanism.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, illustrating one form ofmy improved automatic electric time-switch, Figure 1 is a front view ofthe complete device. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view. Fig. 8 is anenlarged transverse section and elevation taken substantially on line wm of Fig. 2, showing the escapement mechanism in its normal position.Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the relative position of theescapement-levers at the instant the initial lever is depressed by therevolving finger, the latter, however, being omitted, but shown inFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the initial lever returned toits normal position, the fellow lever being returned to its normalposition, shown in Fig. 8, and the switch being correspond inglyrotated. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the levers again in the normalposition and relation, the switch being at the end of its movement orone-fourth of a revolution. Fig. '7 is a corresponding side view of. theescapement device. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 y ofFig. 6. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the time-fingers and dial. Fig. 10is a transverse sectional view taken through the center of the dial andfingers. Fig. 11 is a back view of one of the finger members' and Fi 12is a side or ed e view of the same.

In the drawings, A indicates myimproved automatic electric time-switchas a whole and as installed for service.

B designaes a frame orstandard, to which is secured a suitableclock-movement O, and also having the several members constituting theswitch and escapement mechanism mounted thereon.

At a central point below and in substantial alinement with the revolubleclock spindle or shaft 0 is located the revoluble switch-carrying shaft3 This shaft is supported in suitable bearings and has the usualinsulated switch member ssecured thereon. At each end of the switch issecured a conductingplate it, having two laterally-separatedcontact-pins u 14. These latter when in use are in contact with theusual yielding brushes w 0', through which latter the electric currentfreely passes from one pole .2, via the pins 'lb u, &c., to the otherpole in a well-known manner.

E indicates an insulated stationary disk or plate carrying the severalpoles z. A suit able spring 'm, through which the switch is actuated, isadapted to be wound by a key fitted to a shaft m passing through a holeformed in said plate E. A spur-gear m secured to the switch-shaft, isrotated by means of a fellow gear m, controlled and actuated by thespring m. Upon the shaft 3 is also secured an escapement-wheel F,having, as drawn, a series of four pinsfarranged around the rear side ofits rim at equal distances apart. These pins engage certain lugs or dogsof the intermediate releasing-lever 17, soon to be described. The lever29 is pivoted at b and carries at its upper end orhead two shortrearwardly-projecting pins 19 and b the lower face of the former beingbeveled, as clearly shown. Said lever is also provided with two otherstop pins or lugs b and b These lugs are formed on the front face of thelever, the former, 6 being located near the fulcrum and the other beingintermediate of the upper and lower lugs. The initial or bell-cranklever a, of the escapement mechanism is located in a vertical planeparallel with but just in the rear of said lever 19. It is pivoted at ato the standard B and has a downwardly-extending arm a, to which isattached a retracting-spring (L The face of the lever adjacent to thehead portion of lever b is also provided with two short pins (0 aadapted to coact with said pins b 79 2 The right edge of lever a has anotch a therein to receive the tongue e of the stationary stop member e.The upper end of lever to carries a laterally-extending flattened pin aadapted to be engaged by the tripping members of the dials fingers, soonto be described. The escapement-wheel F is located in front of the lever19, its pinsf being fixed so as to contact with the lugs b b of saidlever. The relation of the several centers or fulcrums ct 6'3 to oneanother is such that the force of the switchactuating spring on cannotrotate the switch and escapement-wheelF more than ninety degrees withoutbeing arrested. This action is due to the contact of the pinsf with thelugs b b of lever Z). The center or dial spindle c, whichin this case ispreferably arranged to make one revolution in twenty-four hours, isextended in front and adapted to receive a suitably-graduated dial d,having a serrated or notched rim. The dial may be divided intotwenty-foil r equal divisions, corresponding to the number of hours in aday, each division being, as drawn, subdivided into four equal parts,indicating one quarter of an hour and being the serrations just referredto. To the back face of the dial a pair of axially-movable sheet-metalfingers h are frictionally mounted, each having a short arm 7t arrangedat a suitable angle therewith and constituting what may be termed atime-tripper. Each of said fingers it has a pin h projecting in fronttherefrom adapted to engage the notched portion of the dials rim, asclearly shown. The free end of each tripping-arm h is so arranged thatin moving around in its circular path it will engage the said pin (1projecting from the upper end of the initial lever a and depress thelatter until arrested by the fixed stop e. Fig. at shows thecorresponding relation of the lever, &c. As soon as the arm h has passedthe pin 0, the lever is instantly returned to the normal position shownin Fig. 3 by means of the spring Q The manner of setting thetime-tripping device is substantially as follows: The graduations orindex formed on the dials face may, if desired, be numbered tocorrespond with or indicate the twenty-four hours of a day. Now in orderto set the finger h it is first sprung rearwardly, as indicated bybroken lines in Fig. 10, thereby disengaging the pin W from the dial,followed by turning it axially until the pin coincides with the notch ortime at which it is desired that the switch is to be actuated. Uponreleasingthe finger the pin enters the adjacent notch. When the timemechanism advances the dial so thatthe pin it of the finger arrives atthe vertical position or substantially opposite the pointer 19, (shownin Fig. 1,) the corresponding tripperarm h will then engage the lever aand depress it, as before stated. The continued movement of the dialsay,for a period of fifteen minuteswill carry the arm h past thetripping-pin a thereby releasing the escapement mechanism and permittingthe spring m, &c., to actuate the switch one-fourth of a revolution. Iwould state that I prefer to arrange the pointer n and pin a withrespect to the pin 71 and the outer end of the arm h, so that when thetwo former coincide with the two latter the lever a will at the sametime be acted upon by the tripping-arm. Fig. 9 also shows the relationof the parts.

In order to provide a free passage for the fingers it past the face oflever a, the outer or front end of pin a does not extend to the rearface of the dial, thereby forming a clear space between them for thefinger. The other portion it, however, is bent rearwardly, (see Fig.10,) so as to lie in the plane of pin a In my improved time-switch theangular movement of the dial and its fingers need not exceed oneninety-sixth of a revolution or fifteen minutes in order to depress thelever a, from the normal position and release the escapement mechanismwhich actuates the switch, as clearly indicated in Fig. 9. The action ofthe slowly-revolving dial causes the tripper-arm h to first depress theinitial lever a, as before described, thereby at the same time carryingthe beveled interlocking stoppin a thereof (shown in the normal positionin Fig. 3) downwardly past the adjacent face of the fellow pin 1) oflever b, (or to the position shown in Fig. 4,) thereby releasing lever1), so that at the very instant of release when the arm h actuallyleaves the pin a the force of spring m, acting through the gears m mslightly turns the escapementwheel F, thereby at the same time, throughthe medium of the, for the time being, lower -pin f,in contact with thebottom pin b of lever b, vibrating the latter from the position shown inFig. 3 to that indicated in Fig. 4, or until the face of pin 19 engagesa corresponding pin a of lever a. It is to be understood that the wheelF is rapidly moving meanwhile by the force of said spring m, so thatwhen the corresponding upper pin f of the wheel engages the side of thelug b it will vibrate lever 12 rearwardly or toward the shaft .9 therebyseparating the frictionally-engaged pins b a at which instant the springa will return lever a to its normal position. (See Fig. 5.) The finalmovement of the wheel carries the upper pin f past lug 19 thus swinginglever Z) toward the left to its limit, as shown in Figs. 6 and 3, andleaving the switch 8 in its new or changed position. (See Fig. At thisinstant, too, the lower lug 11 engages a bottom pin f, while the thenelevated lever a carries the pin a upwardly in front of pin 19, theresult being to instantly stop the wheels movement and to lock the leverZ) against further action until it is again released by depressing theinitial lever a. I would state that while the adjacent faces of pins a bare represented in Figs. 3 and 6 as being in close contact the leverhhas, in fact, a slight play when in this position, so that thetripping-arm h has really little or no work to do in depressing thelever a. The force of the retracting-spring a serves simply to overcomethe weight of the lever and maintain it in the normal position. I wouldfurther add that the time required for automatically actuating theswitch after the tripper has passed the pin a of the initial lever a ofthe escapement device is very short or barely one second.

By means of my invention it is obvious that practically no additionalforceor work beyond its normal requirements is imposed on theclock-movement in changing the switch from one position to the other,since the operative force or power for actuating the switch is whollydetached from and independent of the time-controller O. In fact, thesize of the chronometer or clock mechanism is not necessarily increasedwhen employed for controlling the action of switches used for electriccircuits of high voltage. I consider this a valuable feature of myinvention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States LettersPatent 1. In an automatic electric time-switch, the combination with amotor-actuated or mechanically-movable switch member and clock or timemechanism, detached or disconnected from said switch, of asuitably-graduated time-dial adjustably mounted on and adapted torevolve in unison with the center or time spindle of said clock,time-tripper members adjustably secured to and revolving with the saidtime-dial, and normally stationary releasing m ech anism connected withsaid switch having a member thereof arranged in the path of and adaptedto be engaged by said moving time-trippers at predetermined intervals oftime, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose setforth.

2. In an electric time-switch, provided with clock mechanism and amotor-actuated switch having a movable member, an escapement devicecomprising a spring-pressed initial lever (6 having stop pins or lugs, alocking-lever 12 having its upper portion provided with lugs adapted toengage those of said lever a, and an escapement-wheel F, arranged torevolve in unison with the movable member of said switch, having pinsarranged to coact with lugs formed on lever 19 and located in the pathof said pins, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric time-switch, time mechanism provided with suitabletripping members, and a revoluble motor-actuated member s of an electricswitch, in combination withinterlocking escapement-levers a 1;, arrangedwith respect to said tripping members, and an escapement-wheel Frevolving in unison with said switch member provided with means forcontrolling the angular movements of said lever 1), whereby uponactuating the escapement-lever a the combined action of said members, Z)and F, allows the said switch member s to revolve to open or close theelectric circuit, substantially as described.

t. In an automatic electric time-switch, the combination with arevoluble time-dial having tripping-fingers connected therewith, and amotor actuated intermittingly revoluble switch or contactmembers, of anescapementwheel working in unison with said contact member, a lever Z)having its angular movements controlled by said wheel, and a lever a innormal engagement with said lever 19 ar ranged in the path of andadapted to be actuated by said tripping-fingers, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an automatic electric time-switch, the combination of a suitablynotched or graduated dial, adjustable tripping fingers arranged withrespect to said dial, clock mechanism for continuously rotating the dialand fingers, stationary contact points or poles, anintermittent1y-revoluble motor actuated member 8 arranged to engage saidpoints thereby closing the electric circuit, a springpressed lever aarranged to be engaged and actuated by said tripping-fingers, a lever Z)normally locked to said lever a, and an escapement-wheel revolving inunison with said member .9 provided with means for controlling theangular movements of said lever 11, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed and for the purpose set forth.

angular movement of lever a, and revolving tripping means actuatedbysaid clock mechanism arranged to engage with and actuate said lever a,thereby for the instant releasing the lever 19 and permitting the Wheelto revolve a certain angular distance, substantially as described andfor the purpose here inbefore set forth.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 3d day of February, 1902.

HENRY K. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, G. E, SMITH

